UMaine hockey winless on opening weekend

ORONO (NEWS CENTER)- The University of Maine men's ice hockey team skated to a 2-2 draw with New Brunswick in an exhibition game on Sunday afternoon at Alfond Arena. Kyle Beattie (Avondale, Ariz.) and Devin Shore (Ajax, Ontario) notched goals in the draw for the Black Bears.

UNB opened the scoring at 7:38 of the opening period. Thomas Nesbitt had the puck in the slot and found Colby Pridham down low on the goal line. Pridham dished the puck off to Cam Critchlow on the back post, which was wide-open, after Maine goalie Martin Ouellette (St.-Hippolyte, Quebec) had committed to Pridham.

Maine tied the game just over seven minutes later. Mark Nemec (Rouses Point, N.Y.) had the puck just inside the blueline. He passed to Devin Shore in the right face-off circle. Beattie was able to get a step on his defender and race to the slot. He deposited the puck that he received from Shore into the back of the net.

Shore gave the Black Bears a 2-1 lead at 1:11 of the second period with a power play goal. Adam Shemansky (Robbinsville, N.J.) skated into the slot, before passing to Shore. Shore fired a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle past UNB goalie Daniel LaCosta. Nick Pryor (St. Paul, Minn.) picked up the second assist on the play.

UNB tied the game at 2:00 of the third period. Chad Denny collected the rebound of a shot and one-timed the puck past Maine goalie Matt Morris (Ridgewood, N.J.). The game remained knotted at 2-2 the remainder of regulation and during the five minute overtime frame.

The Varsity Reds nearly won the game on the power play in overtime, but it was determined that the puck crossed the line just after time expired.

Maine goalie Martin Ouellette played the first 30:12 and made 14 saves, while allowing one goal. Matt Morris saw his first time at Alfond Arena as he played the final 34:48. He stopped 13 shots while allowing one goal. LaCosta made 31 saves for the Varsity Reds.

Maine outshot New Brunswick 33-29 in the game. The Black Bears were 1-for-6 on the power play, while UNB was scoreless in three chances.

Maine hits the road next weekend to play in the 2012 Ice Breaker Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The Black Bears face Notre Dame in the opening round on Friday at 7 pm eastern time.